Receptacle and closure therefor



May 1939. i w. LocKHART 2,159,390

RECEPTACLE AND CLOSURE THEREFOR.

Filed Dec. 5, 1935 INVENTOR.

[1 BY 2 ram 14; ATTORNEYS Patented May 23, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Cornell Securities Corporation, Cleveland,

Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application December 5, 1935, Serial No. 53,006

Claims.

My invention is an improvement in metallic receptacles and closures therefor and relates more particularly to shipping drums of the full open head type and to means for removably clamping 5 a cover on the open end of the drum.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a simple mechanism for removably securing a cover to the open end of a drum or receptacle by means of a channelled clamping ring and rack and pinion mechanism associated with the ends of the ring to contract the same, said mechanism being located preferably on the outside of the drum and below the top bead thereof.

Another object of the invention consists in providing a ring contracting and expanding mechanism which is capable of continuous operation from a full contracted to a full expanded ring position, or the reverse thereof, yet which may be fixed in any pre-determined intermediate 29. position.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from the following description of two embodiments thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which like characters are employed to designate like parts throughout the same.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a top plan View of a preferred embodiment of my invention showing the same ap- Q-. plied to a metal shipping drum.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the preferred form of my invention and shows 35 the ring in fully contracted position to clamp the cover on the receptacle in fluid tight relation.

Figure 4 is a section taken on line 44 of Figure 3. a

Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a top plan View showing a second embodiment of my invention in which the ring contracting and expanding mechanism is located within the depressed cover.

Figure '7 is an enlarged fragmentary detail of the escapement mechanism.

My invention is particularly applicable to metallic containers or receptacles such as barrels or drums and the like, which are provided with a circumferential bead at the open ends for supporting a cover and for reenforcement purposes.

Referring to the drawing, I have illustrated two embodiments of my invention in which the barrel or drum is indicated at I. The upper edge of 5:5- the drum is formed with a peripheral head 2 at the open end thereof. A cover 3 comprising a cupped member having a peripheral upwardly and outwardly extending flange 4 is supported by the bead 2 in such a manner that the cupped portion of the cover may be telescoped for a short distance within the container as illustrated in Figure 2.

It will be noted that a portion of the flange 4 is slightly arcuate in cross-section to conform with the approximate curvature with the upper surface of the bead. A packing 5 of suitable material, such as cork or rubber tubing, is interposed between the bead and the cover flange as illustrated in Figure 2.

I have provided a simple means for removably securing the cover on the receptacle to effect a fluid tight seal therebetween by exerting a substantially uniform pressure on the cover and the bead in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of the container.

In the present embodiments this means includes a split contractable channelled clamping ring 6 substantially U shaped in cross section. The upper and lower flange and bead engaging walls respectively of the ring extend in sub- 25 have provided a simple ring expanding and contracting mechanism which is preferably carried by the ring along the exterior wall of the drum and beneath the head 2 thereof.

The ring is provided at its ends with brackets 'l and 8, respectively, projecting downwardly along the drum outer wall when the device is assembled on the drum as shown in Figure 3. The bracket 1 pivotally carries an inverted rack 9 which extends along the drum outer wall and is curved to conform to the curvature of that wall. The bracket 8 slidably receives the rack 9 and carries a rotatable pinion l0 whose teeth II at all times remain in mesh with the teeth l2 of the rack. The pinion is keyed to rotate in either direction with a bearing member 13. The bracket 8 is preferably constructed of a strip of metal bent upon itself in U'form as indicated in Figure 4. The forward and rearward walls of the bracket are provided with aligned openings I5 and 14 respectively to rotatably receive the bearing member I3. A spacing washer I6 provides a bearing surface for the overlapping forward end of the bearing member I3, while the rear end is kerfed as at I! and bears against the converging walls of the opening I4. Thus the bearing member I3, while it is free to rotate in the bracket 8, is not subject to axial motion.

The outer surface of the bearing member is provided with a projection of key I8 which is of rectangular shape and is adapted to seat in an opening I9 of similar shape in the operating handle 20.

The washer I6, which is freely rotatable with respect to the member I3, is provided with a bifurcated extension 2I to which the handle 20 is pivotally attached. The bifurcated extension comprises a pair of arms 22 looped about a stud 23 carried by the handle 20. In order to retain the handle in the position shown in Figure 3 I have provided a bracket 24, which, like the brackets 'I and 8 is disposed downwardly from I the ring and lies close to the outer wall of the drum. The bracket 24 is bent to provide a seat 25 for the handle 20 as shown.

I have provided means for controlling the direction of rotation of the pinion I0, which consists of a yoke or escapement 21 carried within the bracket8 and pivoted thereto at 2B. This yoke comprises a pair of arms 29 and 30 disposed on opposite sides of the pinion and selectively engageable with the teeth of the rack by means of a projection 3|. The projection or trip 3| extends downwardly through an elongated opening in the bracket 8 where it may be grasped by the operator and moved either to the right or left or where it may be held in neutral position. When it is in neutral position the arms 29 and 30 are entirely disengaged from the rack teeth and of course the rack is then free to slide within the bracket 8. In this manner the ring, when contracted, may be quickly released to expand to its natural limit although the ring may be expanded further by shifting the projection to the left so as to engage the arm 29 with the teeth of the rack to prevent the tendency of the ring to return to its normal position. At the same time the handle 29 may be utilized to engage the key on the pinion and to turn the pinion in a counter-clockwise direction in Figure 3 to further expand the ring.

In operating the pinion to contract or expand the ring the projection 3| is shifted to the right or left as the case may be. The inherent resiliency of the ring when in expanded or contracted condition will furnish sufficient pressure against the arms 29 or 30 through the teeth I2 to maintain the ring in its forced condition.

When the ring is placed on the drum to seal a cover thereon and it is desired to contract the ring to press the head of the drum and the cover flange toward each other in sealing relation, the operator pushes the projection 3| to the right to engage the arm 30 with the teeth of the rack. He then swings the handle 20 about its pivot as shown in dotted lines in Figure 5, so that the key I8 is inserted in the opening I9 in the handle. The operator now rotates the handle in a clockwise direction rotating the pinion therewith and causing the ends of the ring to move toward each other. As the rack thus moves to the right relative to the movement of the adjacent end of the ring the arm 38 will ride over the teeth of the rack, but looks the rack against movement in a reverse direction as long as the projection is in the right hand position.

Assuming the ring is contracted to seal the cover on the receptacle and it is desired to remove the cover and ring in Figure 3, the operator swings the lever 20 about its pivot to engage the key I8 in the opening I9 and then either shifts the escapement to the left by means of pressure to the left against the projection, to engage the arm 29 with the teeth I 2 and to disengage the arm 30 with these teeth, or he may release the escapement to its neutral position when the arms 29 and 30 will be disengaged from the teeth I 2. In this latter method of operation the inherent resiliency of the contracted ring will spring it open the moment the arms 29 and 30 are clear of the teeth I2. In the former method, however, is provided a more gradual opening of the ring.

When the ring is expanded sufficiently, the operator may then lift the ring and cover from the receptacle.

In Figure 6 I have illustrated a modified form of the invention which is essentially the same as thatheretofore described, but differs in the respect that the ring contracting and expanding means is located within the confines of the ring and cover. Obviously the invention may be applied in either form, without interfering with the simplicity of the device, the ease of operation, its accessibility in use, or without objectionable projections beyond the outer circumference of the drum or above the top wall of the ring.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts of the invention without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for clamping a cover on the open end of a receptacle including a split locking ring having portions engaging the cover and the receptacle to press the same together in fluid tight sealed relation when the ring is contracted, brackets extending from the ends of the ring defining the split and means for contracting and/or expanding the ring including a rotatable driving member carried by one of the brackets, a driven member carried by another of said brackets, and a lever carried by said driving member, said driving member and said lever having interfitting portions and said lever being pivotally supported on the driving member whereby the lever and driving member may be engaged or disengaged to effect or release a driving connection between the same.

2. A device for clamping a cover on the open end of a receptacle including a split locking ring having portions engaging the cover and the receptacle to press the same together in fluid tight sealed relation when the ring is contracted, brackets extending from the ends of the ring defining the split and means for contracting and/or expanding the ring including a pinion rotatably mounted in one of said brackets, a rack carried by another bracket and disposed at all times in driven relation to said pinion, and a lever carried by said pinion, said pinion and said lever having interengaging portions, said lever being pivotally supported by the pinion whereby the lever and pinion may be engaged or disengaged to effect or release a driving connection between the same.

3. A device for clamping a cover on the open end of a receptacle including a split locking ring having portions engaging the cover and the receptacle to press the same together in fiuid tight sealed relation when the ring is contracted, brackets extending from the ends of the ring defining the split and means for contracting and/or expanding the ring including a rotatable driving member carried by one of the brackets, a driven member carried by another of said brackets, and a lever carried by said driving member, said driving member and said lever having interfitting portions and said lever being pivotally supported onthe driving member whereby the lever and driving member may be engaged or disengaged to efiect or release a driving connection between the same, said brackets and the members carried thereby being disposed downwardly from the open end of the receptacle and along the outside wall thereof.

4. A device for clamping a cover on the open end of a receptacle including a split locking ring having portions engaging the cover and the receptacle to press the same together in fluid tight sealed relation when the ring is contracted, brackets extending from the ends of the ring defining the split and means for contracting and/ or expanding the ring including a pinion rotatably mounted in one of said brackets, 21. rack pivotally carried by another of said brackets and overlying said pinion in driven relation thereto, a lever carrying member supported by said pinion, and

a lever pivoted to said member, said pinion having an axial key and said lever having an opening adapted to receive said key to afford a driving connection between the lever and the pinion.

5. A device for clamping a cover on the open end of a receptacle including a split locking ring having portions engaging the cover and the receptacle to press the same together in fluid tight sealed relation when the ring is contracted, brackets extending from the ends of the ring defining the split and means for contracting and/ or expanding the ring including a rotatable driving member carried by one of the brackets, a driven member carried by another of said brackets, and a lever carried by said driving member, said driving member and said lever having interfitting portions and said lever being pivotally supported on the driving member whereby the lever and driving member may be engaged or disengaged to effect or release a driving connection between the same, said brackets and the members carried thereby being disposed within the confines of the ring and cover and below the top wall of the ring.

WILLIAM LOCKHART. 

